A host of tantalising treats await visitors to NewcastleGateshead this summer with an array of festivals and events set to animate the ‘twin city’s’ streets, quayside and green spaces.
EAT! NewcastleGatehead returns in June for ten days of food fuelled festivities, mixing together a melting pot of tasty treats to get mouths watering and summer flavours flowing. Notable EAT! events this year include The Big EAT! weekend, a free weekend of food themed activities and markets across the destination (18-19 June); while Cakebook North sees the creation of landmark attractions across the North of England out of cake (26 June); also back for 2011 are The Great North Eco-Art-Feast (26 June), and the ever popular Artisan House Party which runs throughout the ten day festival.
After filling up on all that food take the opportunity to burn off some of those calories in the UK’s premier cycling event, The Northern Rock Cyclone (25 June). The event invites people of all abilities to test their fitness with a range of races set throughout the beautiful Northumbrian countryside.
Other exciting festivals this June also include the Mexican ¡Vamos! Festival (June 4 – July 10), the eco friendly Green Festival (7 – 8 June), along with NewcastleGateshead’s favourite Town Moor fair, The Hoppings (17 – 25 June), which returns to the destination for its 129th year!
EAT! Newcastle Gateshead (17 – 26 June)
Various locations across NewcastleGateshead
The North East’s favourite food and drink festival returns this June for another ten days of eclectic events and delectable cuisine serving up the region’s best produce in an innovative new way.
Now celebrating its fifth year, EAT! champions local food producers, restaurants and culinary talent in North East England through a programme of events that includes:
The Big EAT! (Sat 18 – Sunday 19 June), a mouth-watering weekend of street food markets, themed satellite festivals, cookery demonstrations, competitions and food adventures. Sample food and drink from the North East’s finest producers at the Food Heroes Tasting Market, satisfy your sweet-tooth at the brand new Chocolate Festival, spice up your life at the Chilli and Beer Festival and take your pick of the morning’s catch as a local fishing boat lands on the Quayside.
Cakebook (North) (Sun 26 June), an ambitious plan to create a giant edible map of the North of England using landmark heritage structures, modelled out of cake. http://www.eatnewcastlegateshead.com/
¡Vamos! Festival (June 4 – July 10 2011)
Various locations across NewcastleGateshead
The Vamos Festival returns this year spanning five weeks of summer festivities. Opening the festival, the Tyne Carnival (Sat 4 June) kicks of the celebrations in a true Latino rumpus. Commencing at 11am the street parade features live Latin American music, dance and percussion performances, and colourful costumes to bring the the street to life.
For one night and one night only, The Sage Gateshead plays host to the Mexican wrestling spectacular Lucha Future (June 28 2011). The evening features a host of exhilarating performances including high-flying acrobatics, live wrestling and live music from Bostich & Fussible, along with a selection of the best Mexican themed food and drink. http://www.vamosfestival.com/
Green Festival (7-8 June 2011)
Leazes Park, Newcastle
Far more than just another music festival, NewcastleGateshead’s Green Festival prides itself on being an environmentally and family friendly event. The festival follows the theme of UN World Environment Week, with this year’s theme; ‘Kick the CO2 Habit – Towards a Low Carbon Economy.’ The event will showcase the best of local talent across four renewably powered stages. Stage line-ups this year include The Baghdaddies Brass Band and Maybe Myrtle Turtle.
Along with this there is a wealth of activities to keep revellers entertained, including stilt walkers, a solar powered cinema, a sensory play area for children, break dancing workshops, and a green fashion show. http://www.newcastlegreenfestival.org.uk/
The Northumberland Plate (23-25 June 2011)
Newcastle Racecourse
The Northumberland Plate is a flat horse race which forms the centre-piece of the three day festival at Newcastle Racecourse. The Plate returns this year over the last weekend of June. http://www.newcastle-racecourse.co.uk/horse-racing/northumberland-plate.php Blaydon Races (June 9 2011)
Held June 9 every year, the Blaydon races is a 5.9 mile athletics race from Newcastle to Blaydon. The race starts off with the singing of The Blaydon Races folk song aka The National Anthem of Tyneside. The lyrics used as a basis for everything in the race where possible. For example the event takes place every “9th of June” in accord with the songs first line: – “Aa went to Blaydon Races t’was on the 9th of June”. http://www.blaydonrace.co.uk/
The Hoppings (17 – 25 June 2011)
The Town Moor, Newcastle
Europe’s largest travelling festival returns to NewcastleGatesheads this year for the annual Town Moor Fair. Previously known as the Temperance Fair, the fair has been coming to The Town Moor since 1882. The fair this year is commemorated with a book featuring hundreds of vintage and modern photos. http://www.newcastle-hoppings.co.uk/
Northern Rock Cyclone (25 June 2011)
Various Locations including Leazes Park, Newcastle
Now recognised as one of the premier cycling events in the UK, the Northern Rock Cyclone is a non-competitive cycling race for people to test their fitness. The event annually attracts riders from both inside and outside the UK.
This year, participants have the opportunity of entering three events, all of which meander through the beautiful Northumbrian countryside. All riders start and finish at the Newcastle Falcons Rugby club. http://www.northernrockcyclone.co.uk/
Looking Ahead…
NewcastleGateshead Bridges Festival (12 –14 August 2011)
NewcastleGateshead Quaysides, from the Swing Bridge to Gateshead Millennium Bridge
The pilot NewcastleGateshead Bridges Festival will celebrate the history, heritage and contemporary culture of our quayside and river landscape. www.NewcastleGateshead.com/BridgesFestival
Ends
Media Contact
Shelley Staines, Media and PR Manager, NewcastleGateshead Initiative
T. +44 (0)191 440 5739 E. shelley.staines@ngi.org.uk
Get up to the date information on NewcastleGateshead, follow @altweet_pet via Twitter
Notes to Editors
• The 2011 NewcastleGateshead Discover Pass is THE visitor discounting pass for NewcastleGateshead with over 120 offers at attractions, venues, pubs, restaurants and hotels. It is available direct from www.discoverpass.co.uk, which has information on the latest deals and top places to visit in NewcastleGateshead, or from Tourist Information Centres and costs just £10. Catch-up on the latest Discover Pass news by following @DiscoverPass on Twitter.
• United by seven bridges across a spectacular riverscape, Newcastle (a city on the north bank of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (a town on the south bank) form a single, diverse and extremely vibrant visitor destination. World-class culture, vibrant nightlife, award-winning dining, inspiring heritage, fantastic shopping and acclaimed architecture are combined here like nowhere else, by the famous Geordie spirit which is symbolised by Antony Gormley’s iconic Angel of the North as it welcomes travellers to the area.
• NewcastleGateshead Initiative is the destination marketing agency for NewcastleGateshead. Its mission is to position and promote NewcastleGateshead as a leading destination for leisure and business visitors through cultural programming, event bidding and high-profile, targeted destination marketing and PR activity. Created in 2000 by Gateshead Council and Newcastle City Council as a publicly and privately funded business, NewcastleGateshead Initiative has developed a strong brand for the area – promoting it nationally and internationally as a place at the forefront of innovative culture-led regeneration and a world-class place to live, learn, work and visit.
• It is estimated that visitors to NewcastleGateshead from around the UK and overseas contribute £1.23bn to the local economy.
• Press releases and copyright-free, hi-res images of NewcastleGateshead are available at www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Media